The beginning of Swarm begins with a disclaimer: “This is not a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is intentional.” While it might seem like an intense way to start a show, the series takes a look at the downside of fandom and stardom in the modern age of pop stars and social media influencers, and they even call out some people by name. But the claim also has fans wondering if the events of the show actually happened.
The series follows a young fan named Dre who obsesses over superstar Ni’Jar while becoming increasingly violent and aggressive. But fans were quick to notice the real-world influences on the show that remind people of a a certain fandom. The show is called Swarm, after all!
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Even though the show takes inspiration from real-life fans, creator Donald Glover insists that the show is a cautionary tale about this age of fame. At the show’s premiere last week, Glover spoke to the audience, saying, “I am so happy that you guys are here, able to enjoy this, and uh, yeah… like, um… Beyhive: don’t kill us. It’s not that bad. It’s actually, like, pretty cool.” Sure, it looks cool, but is Beyonce on board with this story, given her intense fandom?
Co-creator Janine Nabers says that Queen Bey is well aware of the series, and she might have even seen it. “She knows about the show,” Nabers told EW this week. “I wrote her a letter basically being like, ‘Yo, you’re great. I love you. This is a show that we’re working on. These are the people that are writing on it.’ She’s worked with a lot of the people who have worked on our show. It’s a family,” Nabers added.
Seeing as Glover has worked with Beyonce quite a bit (they played Simba and Nala together!) it seems like the two are on decent terms, so hopefully, the series doesn’t get any backlash from her team. Or from Halsey.
